


just maybe

by scholarlyzelda



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/F, Fluff, Gay Trans Man Link (Mentioned), Humor, Lesbian Zelda, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Romance, Selectively Mute Link (Mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-12-25 01:58:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12025698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scholarlyzelda/pseuds/scholarlyzelda
Summary: Zelda lets out a shaky breath and stands up a little straighter. Here goes nothing. What is she so nervous for, anyway? She hasn’t even talked to Mipha, let alone been rejected, so what is she getting so worked up over—“Hello, Princess.”Mipha’s voice is as soft as butter and twice as sweet, and Zelda nearly sinks to her knees to plead Hylia answer her prayers as to what she ever did to deserve this kind of torture.





	just maybe

**Author's Note:**

> love these gays <3
> 
> edit: i now have a cover for the story (that i made in snapchat but still lmao)! i also tried my hand at an image description, which i've never really done before, so if it needs to be improved in any way, suggestions are welcome!

[Image description: a screenshot of Mipha and Zelda from the Nintendo game _The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild._ They are standing a couple feet apart and looking at each other with kind expressions on their faces. There is white blocky text between them that reads: "just maybe" and underneath that, in cursive, it says: "by scholarlyzelda."]

* * *

 

 

_I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can—_

Mipha finally spots Zelda from where she’s standing on the balcony above Zora’s Domain, and smiles, bright as the sun glinting off the East Reservoir Lake.

Zelda’s heart nearly stalls inside her chest.

_Oh Hylia, I can’t do this._

She wishes there was somewhere to run and hide, but Zora’s Domain is so bright and spacious that it would be impossible to even try. That, along with the innovative architecture, is truly what makes it one of Hyrule’s most magnificent jewels.

At least, that’s what Zelda always thought until today. Now she can only think of what the risks are of leaping off the side of the plaza and plunging headfirst into the waters of Ruto Lake below. Sure, it might be awkward to explain later, but at least she’ll have saved herself from making an even bigger fool of herself by asking Mipha out on a date.

_No, no, no, it’s not a date!_ _I’m just asking her to accompany me during my research, that’s all. Sure, we’ll be alone together, probably for several hours— that is, if she even says yes in the first place— but that’s fine because we’re friends. Totally platonic friends. I don’t feel anything romantic toward her, not at all._

She curls her hands into fists, digging her nails into the skin of her palms until it stings.

_Yeah, right._

The only saving grace in this whole catastrophe (and really, she hasn’t even spoken directly to Mipha yet, how has it all spiraled _so quickly?_ ) is that Link isn’t here to witness any of it. He wouldn’t say much, if anything at all, but he’d give her that _look_ of his. That carefully cultivated blank but knowing _look_ that just screams _‘oh yes, Zelda, I know_ all _about your feelings for Mipha.’_

Zelda almost wishes she knew if _he_ had a crush so she could lord it over him in return; but the only time he ever came close to admitting anything like that was a month ago when she first confessed to him she was a lesbian, and Link confided back in her that he’s known he’s a gay trans man for several years now. She was a bit surprised at first, but… mainly she was just so very touched that he trusted her enough to let her get to know him that much more.

Zelda’s lucky to be able to call him her best friend. Even though it still frustrates her to no end that he somehow figured out her… secret. If she’d started thinking about this at literally any other time, she might even have felt embarrassed that she’s been so utterly transparent.

As it is, though, Mipha appears to have finally finished her conversation with Muzu and is now on her way down the large, crystal blue staircase on the left, smiling and walking straight toward her.

Zelda lets out a shaky breath and stands up a little straighter. Here goes nothing. What is she so nervous for, anyway? She hasn’t even talked to Mipha, let alone been rejected, so what is she getting so worked up over—

“Hello, Princess.”

Mipha’s voice is as soft as butter and twice as sweet, and Zelda nearly sinks to her knees to plead Hylia answer her prayers as to what she ever did to deserve this kind of torture.

Forcing her suddenly jelly-like knees to stiffen up ( _come on, Zelda, you’ve faced worse things than a pretty girl that won’t stop staring with the most beautiful golden eyes you’ve ever seen, oh_ wow), Zelda turns her chin up and does her best to meet Mipha’s soft gaze.

“H-hi, hello, Mipha. Uh… how are you faring today?”

Mipha blinks. “Well, I certainly can’t complain; thank you for asking, Princess,” she says, and bows her head. Presumably she means this as an acknowledgement of Zelda’s higher political status because even though they are both technically Princesses, Zelda is the Princess of the entire kingdom; Zelda’s old teachers always taught her that it would be rude of anyone below her status to not acknowledge that.

Still, that doesn’t mean she’s ever cared about that sort of thing beyond the times when she _has_ to, and the fact that Mipha feels obligated to do it makes her feel even more uneasy about this entire situation than she already did.

Zelda can only nod to that, and Mipha tightens her grip on the Lightscale Trident— an impressively unique weapon, even among the Zora, and Zelda keeps forgetting to ask if it’d be all right to capture an image of it on the Sheikah slate to study later…

_Oh for the goddesses’ sake, why are you thinking of your research at a time like this?_

“Uh, so Muzu said you wished to speak with me?” Mipha eventually prompts, and Zelda clears her throat.

“Yes, yes I did,” but she doesn’t say anything more.

Mipha stares at her.

“Oh. Well… forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn, Princess, but is everything all right with you? I don’t mean to offend or upset you, but you seem a bit… nervous, is all.”

“What?” Zelda panics for a moment, worrying she’d already given herself away somehow. _How is it possible I’ve been so transparent when I’ve barely said a word?_ “Oh, uh, no, no, everything is perfectly fine, I assure you. I… am sorry if I worried you, though.”

“Oh, no, there’s no need to apologize,” Mipha is quick to reassure, and then she grins conspiratorially and leans in a bit closer. “Though if there is anything on your mind, I can assure you that I am quite excellent at keeping secrets.”

Zelda gulps. _Well… I suppose now’s as good a time as any._

“Actually, I… did want to ask you something,” she starts, and Mipha looks at her with attentive eyes. “See, I was in the area doing some research on nearby Shrines, the one near Inogo Bridge to be more specific, and, I, well… I wanted to ask if you’d… um…”

Mipha continues to hold her gaze, her serious but kind demeanor as lovely as ever, and Zelda’s pulse starts to race inside her chest.

She squeezes her eyes shut, balling her hands into stubborn fists at her sides. _Now or never, Zelda, come on!_

“I wanted to ask if you would accompany me!” she finally forces out, her words nearly tumbling over themselves in her effort to spit them out already.

When she opens her eyes, Mipha blinks owlishly back at her.

“Is… that it?” she questions after a few beats of silence, and Zelda nods. “Of course I’ll accompany you, Princess. If that’s truly what you would like of me.”

“No, that’s not what— I don’t want you to feel like you _must_ accompany me, Mipha, just because I asked you, that would be rather rude, and I’m not—”

Mipha reaches for Zelda’s arm, her touch light as a feather, and Zelda immediately shuts up.

“I apologize, I misspoke. I would love to accompany you on your research outing, Princess Zelda,” she says. “No obligation. I promise,” and okay, she’s still being far too formal, but at least it’s something.

Zelda grins.

“Well, if you’re sure… let’s head out then, shall we?”

* * *

 

“Princess, are you quite sure you’re all right?”

Zelda nearly sighs. The last ten minutes have been spent in relative silence as they’ve left the Domain and started along the path—aside, of course, from Mipha intermittently asking Zelda if she’s okay.

It’s almost annoying how concerned she is (almost) because really, what is Zelda supposed to say? _“No, I’m not okay, because I have a huge crush on you, and I’m incredibly nervous about what to do or say right now. By the way, I have a huge crush on you, and would you mind if I kissed you now or maybe just held your hand?”_

“Yes, Mipha, I’m quite fine,” she says instead because somehow, that seems a lot less overwhelming than straight out confessing her feelings to her.

Mipha doesn’t say anything more, just nods, and continues to walk a few paces behind. Just now realizing how fast she’s been walking, Zelda slows down to walk side-by-side.

“So… how are you, Mipha?” she asks eventually, fiddling with her gloves.

Mipha shrugs, a rather undignified gesture for someone usually so stately.

“I’m fine,” she replies.

“And your family? How is Prince Sidon?”

“He’s doing well.” Mipha allows a small, familiar smile to grace her lips as she recalls, “Actually, I took him on a walk to the reservoir yesterday; he asked if he could help me pilot Vah Ruta when it came time to fight Calamity Ganon.”

A brief image flashes in Zelda’s head of the tiny Zora Prince standing on the very tips of his webbed little toes in order to reach Divine Beast Vah Ruta’s controls. She laughs.

“Well, that’s certainly quite brave of him. And your response?”

Mipha pauses a moment, suddenly looking many years beyond her age when she finally answers, “I said to him that the Calamity shall be a fragile time for our people, and they will require his courage far more than either I or Ruta…” And then she giggles a little. “I don’t think he much appreciated that answer, to be perfectly honest, but he vowed to do right by our people all the same. Two minutes later, though, and I was chasing after him as he leapt into the water and attempted to swim his way out to her.”

Zelda shakes her head. “He’s rather curious about the Divine Beast, is he?”

“Oh yes. He reminds me of you in that regard, always asking questions and wanting to learn everything he can,” she says. “It’s quite… admirable,” and Zelda’s incredibly lucky Mipha isn’t looking directly at her right now, what with the warm blush now dusting her cheeks.

“That’s… thank you,” she mumbles, but it doesn’t seem like Mipha hears her.

Mipha clears her throat after another beat of silence, shifting her trident from her right side to the left. Zelda didn’t think it was likely they’d run into trouble before arriving at the Shrine, but it never hurts to be careful. In fact, she probably should’ve brought a weapon of her own, like one of her rapiers or even a bow and arrow, but she’d been so nervous when she left that she hadn’t even thought about that.

“What about you, Princess?”

Zelda looks up to see Mipha staring at her.

“I… What?” she fumbles around the lump in her throat.

“What about you, how have you been?” Mipha clarifies.

“Oh, right, uh.” Zelda bites her bottom lip, absentmindedly tapping the Sheikah Slate on her hip as she tries desperately to think of something to talk about. “Well, I suppose I did spend a rather pleasant afternoon with Urbosa’s family the other day.”

Mipha’s eyes light up as she immediately inquires, “Oh, really? How is Adah doing, is she still working on that sculpture of a Lynel? And what about little Muna? Last I heard she was starting to learn how to surf with a Sand Seal! Isn’t that amazing?”

Zelda smiles fondly. Mipha absolutely adores Urbosa’s family, and has even visited them in Gerudo Town once or twice (she’d had to stock up on chilly elixirs in order to survive the trip, but Link had been more than happy to brew them for her). It’s really quite sweet, and Zelda can definitely see why she cares for them so much; because when she thinks of what a perfect family must be like, Urbosa, her wife Adah, and their daughter Muna are always the first to come to mind.

_They love each other so much, support each other no matter what… I wonder what that’s like._

Zelda clears her throat, trying to stop that bitter train of thought before it can get away from her. She spends the next half-an-hour telling Mipha all about the afternoon she spent going over some information concerning Vah Naboris with Urbosa, the lovely dinner she ate with her and her family, and the quick ride she took with little Muna as she showed off everything she’s learned about Sand Seal surfing so far.

“Look, I even took a picture,” Zelda says, and she pulls out the Sheikah Slate to show Mipha the photo she’d gotten of Muna doing a small jump off a sand dune, her intricately sewn gold robes and messy red braid flowing behind her as she grins a wide, crooked smile.

Mipha places a hand over her mouth and starts to giggle.

“Oh, how absolutely adorable!” she exclaims, and Zelda laughs, too.

“Isn’t she?”

Mipha shakes her head a little, still smiling. “She’s such a sweet girl.” She gently lowers her hand and gazes off to the side. “Not to get too personal, but seeing her so happy and carefree… it makes me rather excited to have children of my own someday.”

Zelda drops the Sheikah Slate back to her side, her gaze snapping upward. “Oh, so… you’ve thought about that sort of thing?” she asks.

“Indeed,” Mipha nods. “Have you?”

“Well, not really, no. I suppose I’ve just had… other things to think about.” _Is it even possible for a Hylian and a Zora to have children? I mean, I suppose we could always adopt, but I highly doubt Father would approve of that…_

_… I need to stop thinking altogether, don’t I._

Mipha nods again and tightens her grip on the Lightscale Trident. Her tone is quite subdued as she replies, “Yes, I’m sure you have. I didn’t mean to imply that you _should_ be thinking of having children anytime soon— you’re only sixteen years of age, after all— I was only curious.”

Zelda shakes her head. “No, no, that’s quite all right.”

Now she’s confused, though. Mipha is only around seventeen years old (in Hylian years at least— she’s not quite sure how old she is to the Zora), so then why is _she_ already thinking of children?

Unless… there’s a reason. More specifically, a _someone._

Zelda can already feel her heart sinking in her chest from the inevitable answer, but she decides to ask anyway.

“Mipha, all this talk of children. Is there maybe, um… someone you care for?”

She tries to phrase it in such a way that inherently implies what she means, but she’s not sure it comes across until she sees Mipha’s sad little smile.

“… Maybe,” she concedes, “but I don’t want to burden you with unnecessary details about my personal life.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Zelda insists, then lowers her voice to clarify, “I- I mean, you and I are friends; nothing about your personal life could be considered unnecessary to me.” She looks down toward her shoes and starts to fiddle with her gloves again. “On the other hand, that question _was_ rather personal, and quite rude of me to inquire about in the first place, so… I’ll understand if you choose not to answer.”

She nearly regrets the words once they leave her mouth, but she’s not so ill-mannered that she wouldn’t offer Mipha a way to abstain from answering. She just hopes she won’t take it.

“I… appreciate that, Princess. Perhaps I’ll tell you about it another time, but for now… I would prefer not to talk about it.”

_Damn it._

Zelda nods around the painful awkwardness now permeating the air. “Yes, of course. I understand.”

And they continue along in silence.

* * *

 

Zelda has always hated the roundabout path around Ruto Mountain, but at least they’re at Luto’s Crossing now.

“Hmm. The road can get rather dangerous from this point onward, Princess,” Mipha informs her, the first time either of them has spoken since Zelda’s little, uh… social faux-pas. She readjusts her grip on the Lightscale Trident, raising a hand to keep the early afternoon sun out of her eyes. “Perhaps I should lead the way?”

Zelda pulls out the Sheikah Slate to get a closer look at the land across the bridge. There are a few blue Lizalfos patrolling here and there, but they should be easy to avoid, if they’re careful.

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m perfectly capable of handling myself,” Zelda says, slipping the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip. “I’ll lead.”

Mipha looks as if she wants to say something, but then just nods and gestures for Zelda to go ahead. Zelda walks forward, her footsteps _tip-tapping_ against the hard crystal surface of the bridge.

“Princess?”

“Yes?”

Mipha clears her throat, straightening out her Champion’s Scarf.

“Do you… consider all of the Champions to be your friends?” she asks, and Zelda tilts her head in curiosity.

“Of course,” she answers. “Why?”

Mipha bites her lip. “I only wondered,” she says, and Zelda expects that’s all she’s going to say about it until she continues. “Earlier, you said that you consider us to be friends. And I thought that maybe that meant that you and I… have grown closer over the months. But with everything we’ve been through— and everything we _will_ go through as well— it makes sense that you consider all of the Champions to be your friends. I certainly do.” She chuckles. “Regardless of how many times Revali complains about Link, I think the rest see it the same way, too.”

Zelda’s mouth falls into a little ‘o’ shape.

“Oh, well, I… hadn’t realized that’s what you’d been thinking about when you asked,” and she clears her throat, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I do consider all of the Champions to be my friends, but in different ways.”

Mipha looks at her curiously. “What do you mean?”

“Well, with Daruk and Revali, I feel it’s more of a… I don’t want to say professional friendship, but it’s not quite as familiar as it is with the others, simply because we don’t speak as often outside our duties. I still care for them both, of course, but it’s different than it is with Urbosa or Link. My relationship with them is more personal because I know a lot about their personal lives, and I very much consider both of them to be…” she nearly says ‘family,’ but stops herself just before the word can leave her mouth, “… to be very dear to me.” She looks up at Mipha, hoping that she can hear the sincerity in her voice as she mutters, “And that’s how I see you and I as well.”

Mipha clasps her hands together around her trident, a beautiful smile lighting her face as they reach the other end of the Luto’s Crossing bridge.

“I’m so very glad to hear that. I know that you and I haven’t gotten many chances to spend time alone together, but I’m very pleased to see that has started to change,” and her sharp white teeth start to glint in the sunlight. “Thank you for asking me to come along with you today, Princess.”

Feeling a blush start to creep up her cheeks, Zelda looks down at the gravel now crunching softly beneath her boots.

“Thank _you,”_ she says, “I believe the pleasure of your company is all mine.”

Mipha’s smile brightens.

The next five minutes are spent in relative silence as they continue to make their way down the steep path between the cliffs, careful to avoid the attention of the watchful Lizalfos.

Near Oren Bridge, though, Zelda blurts out, “What’s your favorite food?” and Mipha looks at her, clearly confused.

“Why do you ask, Princess?”

Zelda clasps her hands behind her back and bites her lip.

“Well, I, you know, I just figured since we’re spending this time alone together, we could try to get to know each other a bit better. We could ask each other questions, sort of like a game, I suppose?” _Plus, if I can find out what your favorite food is, maybe I could make it for you sometime… Maybe._ “We don’t have to if you don’t want to, though.”

“No, no, that sounds like fun!” Mipha exclaims. “I’d love to play.”

Zelda bites her lip, grinning. “Oh, but there is one rule: you mustn’t call me Princess anymore,” she adds. “Please, just Zelda.”

Mipha’s eyes widen at that, and for a moment, Zelda fears she made some sort of mistake.

But then Mipha stammers, “Oh, I- really? You… really don’t mind if I’m so informal with you?” She waits for Zelda to shake her head, then nods once. “Okay. Zelda.”

Zelda’s heart starts to race at the sound of her name leaving Mipha’s lips. _This might have been a bad idea…_

“So, um, what is your favorite food?” she repeats, and Mipha chuckles a little.

“All right, well, you may think this is a bit silly, me being a Zora and all, but I’ve always been rather fond of seafood curry. With just the right amount of Goron Spice… mm,” and she places a hand to her stomach, looking suddenly starved.

Zelda looks to the side, chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully. She’s always been rather atrocious when it comes to cooking, so she doubts she could ever make that complicated a dish on her own, but maybe if she asked Link for help…

_Oh, if only I could just toss all the ingredients into a pot and end up with a perfectly-made dish!_

“Zelda? Did you hear me?”

Zelda snaps her gaze back up toward Mipha.

“Yes, I’m sorry, I just… got lost in thought. Sorry.” She clears her throat. “So, seafood curry, huh? Are you sure that isn’t considered… offensive, in some way?” Mipha narrows her eyes at that, confused, so she clarifies, “Well, you know… because the Zora are technically descended from fish?” and Mipha’s expression turns scandalized.

“Well, I don’t know what _you’re_ using to make seafood curry, but the recipe I know uses hearty blueshell snails, thank you very much,” she contends, though there’s no real ire in her tone; Zelda gets the feeling she’s being teased more than anything else.

Still, she has to resist the temptation to bury her head in her hands after making a fool of herself for what must be the hundredth time today.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to offend— wait, but blueshell snails are still a type of sea creature, aren’t they?” she interrupts herself, placing a thoughtful finger to her chin. “So then, technically, since the Zora are descended from sea creatures, eating seafood curry might still be considered—”

Mipha suddenly laughs, and Zelda realizes that she’d been starting to rant.

_Not to mention I was only one second away from accusing her of having committed some sort of crime._ She sighs. _Just lovely, Zelda._

“I’m… quite sorry, I don’t know why I’m carrying on about this. I’m just making you feel guilty for enjoying your favorite food, aren’t I?” and she stares down at her feet in shame.

Mipha shakes her head, though, and says, “No, not at all! At this point, it’s hardly a surprise that you’re curious about these things. Besides, I’m actually quite enjoying watching you get flustered,” she says. “It’s cute.”

Zelda could have choked on her own heart right then and there if that was even possible. Luckily for her, Mipha then turns her head to look out at the glossy surface of the Zora River below, so she doesn’t see her gaping.

“Oh, well, I, um… thank you?” she squeaks, but Mipha doesn’t say anything in response.

There’s a strange moment of silence in which Zelda nearly drives herself mad trying to figure out what just happened— _what did she mean what did she mean what did she mean_ — before Mipha finally speaks again.

“What’s your favorite food?” she asks, and Zelda is both relieved and extremely frustrated at the change in subject.

“I’m rather fond of fruitcake,” she answers after a short pause.

Mipha tilts her head in curiosity and asks, “Is that just… cake with fruit in it?” to which Zelda nods. _Close enough, anyway._ “Huh. I don’t think I’ve ever tried that before. And I’m not so sure I’d _want_ to try it, if I’m being perfectly honest,” she laughs.

Zelda pouts a little. “Oh, come on, it’s not _that_ bad. If you get the Royal Cooks to make it, I swear it tastes almost like it was handmade by Hylia herself,” she informs her, but Mipha still looks skeptical. Feeling brave, Zelda continues, “Well, perhaps you and I could share a meal at the castle sometime. I could ask them to make you a slice. Just to prove you wrong, of course.”

“Oh, of course,” Mipha chuckles and smiles at her, soft and kind as ever. Then she looks down toward the ground. “You know, if we were to share a meal together… we could have seafood curry for the main course and fruitcake for dessert. That way we’d both get to try each other’s favorite foods,” she says, and she looks up at Zelda again, her eyes shining. “Would that be all right?”

Zelda feels like she could burst from the spark of warmth that starts to spread throughout her chest.

“If that’s what you would like,” she replies.

Mipha’s smile widens into a grin, and she nods. “I would like that very much… Zelda.”

Zelda bites her lip to keep from saying anything else, too afraid that if she opens her mouth again, she’ll find some way to ruin the moment.

She truly does adore Mipha. The way she smiles at her, the way she engages with her, always laughing and never making her feel foolish for rambling about the things she’s interested in, the way she can set Zelda’s heart racing with just a glance… Perhaps most important of all, though, is the fact that not once has she ever made Zelda feel like she wasn’t enough.

To her… that’s _everything._

* * *

 

They continue to ask each other questions as they pass over Oren Bridge, stop for a short break at the Bank of Wishes, continue to journey through the Tabahl Woods and down the path along Zora River. Zelda learns that Mipha’s favorite colors are blue and silver, and that for the past few months she’s been trying to learn how to play the harp, while Mipha is surprised to find out that Zelda used to own two dogs before her mother died and she was forced to give them away.

They’re just nearing Inogo Bridge when it happens. One minute they’re laughing over a stupid joke Zelda made, the next Mipha is swinging her trident straight for the yellow Lizalfos that just jumped out at them.

Zelda grunts as Mipha shoves her aside, out of the fray, her back slamming painfully into a thick tree trunk. Her breath immediately leaves her body as she slips to the ground, and she wheezes. She _hates_ getting the wind knocked out of her.

For a short moment, it’s all she can concentrate on, her hands pressed tight against her chest, but then the obnoxious screech of the Lizalfos cuts through, sending a panic-stricken shiver down her spine. Her eyes snap up, and she sees Mipha slamming the other end of her trident straight into its chest. The monster flies backward, stumbling several feet.

Zelda watches, stunned, as Mipha leaps forward, refusing to let the thing get away from her. It would appear she possesses as much strength, grace, and intelligence in battle as she does off the battlefield, which doesn’t surprise Zelda in the least— in fact, she’s almost grateful that she finally gets to witness it firsthand.

That is, until she notices the blue Lizalfos running straight for them, trying to flank Mipha from behind in an attempt to catch her off-guard. And Zelda knows it will work, too, if she doesn’t do anything to stop it.

Leaping back to her feet, she grabs the closest thing to a weapon as she can find and dashes forward. The Lizalfos notices her almost immediately, but that still doesn’t quite prepare it for the tree branch she smashes in its face. With a loud screech, the beast stops in its tracks, and she glares at it with all of the rage now pumping through her body.

“Stay _away_ from her.”

There’s a split second pause, then the Lizalfos seems to grin wickedly before taking a swing at her with the sharp metal boomerang clutched tight between its claws.

She manages to dodge the first few swipes, but with nothing else to defend herself with, she’s left vulnerable to the onslaught of attacks. First her shoulder, then her abdomen. She’s lucky she moved out of the way before the wounds could get much deeper than a papercut, but she still hisses at the painful stinging sensations.

Zelda falls to the ground again and ends up staring straight into the cold, dead-eyed gaze of the blue Lizalfos. A brief image flashes in her mind of the humid air of the Gerudo Desert, the sun glinting blindingly off the sharp edge of a Vicious Sickle, Link’s heaves and grunts as he fought to protect her from the Yiga.

She thinks of this as the Lizalfos raises the boomerang above its head. She squeezes her eyes shut.

There’s a brief second of quiet, and then a horrible _shlucking_ sound and a deafening shriek. Zelda opens her eyes to see the Lizalfos impaled by the Lightscale Trident, and she quickly scrambles to the side as the now lifeless beast falls forward before disappearing in a strange haze of purple smoke.

Mipha picks her trident up off the ground, and Zelda just stares for a second, dumbfounded. Then she leaps to her feet and throws her arms around Mipha, pulling her close.

“You… you saved my life!” she marvels and beams brightly at her. “You’re incredible.”

Before Mipha can even smile in return, though, there’s a loud crackling sound and a near-blinding burst of light. Mipha pushes her aside.

“Princess, look out—!” she shouts, and it’s too late for Zelda to do anything but watch as the shock arrow explodes against Mipha’s chest. Mipha’s warning cry wanes into a scream of pain as she falls to the dirt, her body convulsing violently from the electricity now coursing through her body, and her trident drops beside her.

For one horrifying moment, Zelda is frozen, unable to move or speak or even scream. But then she hears the sound of another shock arrow being notched against the Lizal bow, and her hands start to shake at her sides as the rest of her moves on autopilot, bending down to grab the Lightscale Trident and hurtling it as hard as she can toward the Lizalfos.

Her marksmanship with any weapon besides a bow and arrow has never been particularly noteworthy, but today, she hits her target with deadly accuracy. The Lizalfos lets out one last terrible screech before it vanishes for good.

Zelda lets out a sharp exhale and drops down to Mipha’s side. She’s still breathing, thank the three goddesses, but she won’t be for much longer if Zelda doesn’t do something to help her. She briefly debates dragging Mipha into the river, as she’s read that completely submerging a Zora in water can help them heal minor wounds—but this _isn’t_ a minor wound, and besides, she doesn’t want to lose Mipha to the strong current, so she decides against it.

Looping her arms underneath Mipha’s shoulders, Zelda drags her limp body underneath a small outcropping in the side of the mountain.

“Don’t worry,” Zelda says, though she’s mostly reassuring herself at this point. “I’m going to find a way to fix this. I promise.”

Then she sets off toward Inogo Bridge. Luckily, it takes a surprisingly short amount of time for her to capture a hearty lizard. She places it in her side pouch along with the two Lizalfos talons left behind by the one she killed and heads for the cooking pot a little further down the path.

Unfortunately, it starts to rain just as she reaches the pot.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She doesn’t have time to wait out a rainstorm! What is she supposed to do? Well, she could just start a quick fire under the outcropping and cook the materials there… but she wouldn’t be able to get an elixir that way…

She exhales a deep breath in an attempt to soothe her mounting frustration and examines the pot. It’s not bolted to the ground in any way, so maybe… She looks back at the long path back across Inogo Bridge.

_I suppose it’s my only option._ She grabs the base of the pot by both sides and yanks backward, slowly dragging it out onto the trail. The legs leave deep gouges in the slick wet mud, and she loses her grip on it more than a dozen times, but she does her best to manage as she drags it all the way back.

Practically all the muscles in her arms are throbbing by the time she pulls the pot into place under the outcropping, but she doesn’t let the pain distract her. Briefly checking to make sure Mipha is still breathing ( _oh thank Hylia, she is_ ), she quickly locates some relatively dry pieces of wood and tosses them under the pot. Luckily for the both of them, she’s spent more than enough nights camping outside of Shrines to know how to start a fire. She tosses all of the ingredients in, and seconds later, has a hearty elixir in her hands.

Shivering from the cold seeping into her skin from her wet clothes, Zelda sits down next to Mipha and gently places her head in her lap. With one last prayer to gods she’s not even sure are listening, she tips the bottle and pours the elixir down Mipha’s throat.

For one long, horrifying minute, it appears the elixir has failed, that she’s lost Mipha for good—but then Mipha coughs and shoots upward, hunching over as she tries to regain her stolen breath.

Zelda clutches at her chest, relief flooding through every inch of her body.

“Are you… all right?” she asks, trying to hide the trembling of her voice.

Mipha looks up at her for the first time since regaining consciousness. For a moment, all she can do is stare, her expression strangely soft. Then she glances down at the empty elixir bottle in Zelda’s hand.

She starts to smile.

“You saved my life… didn’t you?” she asks, and Zelda looks down toward her lap. Mipha reaches forward to place her right hand over Zelda’s, still clutching tight at the bottle, and marvels, “You’re _incredible.”_

Tears start to well in Zelda’s eyes, the result of all the fright and hysteria she’d had to force down in the past fifteen minutes, and she launches herself forward, pulling Mipha into a tight embrace.

“I’m- so glad you’re okay,” Zelda hiccups into her shoulder.

Mipha jolts a little, seemingly stunned by the sudden movement, then gently wraps her arms around her in return.

“Me too,” she mumbles, squeezing her tight.

* * *

 

It’s cozy, sitting with Mipha by the fire, waiting out the storm together. It’ll certainly be very late in the evening by the time they return to Zora’s Domain tonight, but Zelda can just rent a bed at the Seabed Inn.

Mipha places some of the acorns she found nearby into the fire, lightly prodding at them with her trident. She looks up at Zelda.

“Are you feeling okay?” she asks, to which Zelda just hums a little. “That’s good. I wouldn’t say I’m exactly in tip-top shape right now, but if you were hurt in any way… I would still heal you.”

Zelda’s cheeks warm a little at that. She pulls her legs up to her chest and rests her chin on top of her knees.

“Thank you,” she says.

“For what?”

Zelda sighs. “For being so kind to me.” She looks away. “I hardly deserve it after everything I’ve put you through today.”

Mipha tilts her head, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

“None of what happened was your fault, Zelda. Hey,” and she leans forward to touch Zelda’s shoulder, looking her straight in the eye. “You saved my life today.”

“There would have been no need to save your life if I hadn’t dragged you out here in the first place,” she points out, then she lets out a dry little chuckle. “If only Daruk had been here; I’m sure he could have protected you just fine.”

Mipha shakes her head, though.

“I didn’t need Daruk,” she insists. “I had you. Listen to me, Zelda, you are far stronger, braver, and much more resilient than you give yourself credit for. You’re m—” She clears her throat. “You’re a hero.”

Zelda lifts her gaze to meet Mipha’s intense, sincere expression. _What?_

“No, that’s not… I don’t…” her words get tangled up, though, and she stops herself, rubbing her lips together. “What about Link?” she asks. “He was chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. If anyone’s a hero… it’d be him, not me.”

_I could never even compare._

Mipha tightens her grip, her eyes briefly wandering across Zelda’s face.

“He is quite strong, yes, and very brave. But there’s a certain kind of strength that can only be gained through hardship, and I recognize that strength… in you. Despite all of the constant disappointment and perceived failure you have endured all these years, you… you are still here, Zelda. And that’s one of the bravest acts I’ve seen in a long, long time.”

Zelda feels her eyes start to mist over. No one’s said anything that nice to her in a long, long time…

She shivers, then clears her throat, quickly blinking the tears away and moving her gaze toward the fire at their feet.

“Mipha… You are far too kind to me, and I hardly deserve it,” she eventually murmurs, and Mipha finally lets her hand drop from her shoulder. “I honestly don’t know what it is about me that so often puts the people I love in danger, but I can’t seem to help it. It’s like a curse.”

There’s a beat of silence. Mipha tilts her head.

“The… people you love?” she repeats, and Zelda feels her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. “Does that mean…?” she lets her words trail away, though.

_Oh no. No no no no, please no._

She throws her head back against the rock behind her with a small _thunk,_ her hands curled into fists. She should have just kept her mouth shut.

Mipha scoots closer, her electric yellow eyes shining in the soft glow of the firelight.

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” she whispers, and she reaches forward, brushing some loose strands of damp hair from Zelda’s forehead. “What is it?”

Zelda almost answers the same way Mipha did earlier. _“Perhaps I’ll tell you about it another time, but for now… I would prefer not to talk about it.”_ Because she really _doesn’t_ want to talk about it, but more importantly, she _shouldn’t._ She’s already wasted more than enough of what little time they have before Calamity Ganon’s return pining pathetically; she can’t afford to waste any more of it nursing a broken heart.

As the Princess of Hyrule, Commander of the Champions, and supposedly the only one with the power to seal Ganon away, she has a duty to her people. She must do everything she can to keep the kingdom from falling to ruin. She must be everything they need her to be and _more,_ which means she doesn’t have time for love.

Words from over a decade ago suddenly start to echo in her mind.

_“No matter what, you must always be thinking of what is right for your people, for it is your duty to be this kingdom’s loyal and lawful princess,”_ her mother once told her after a long day dealing with the aftermath of a Yiga raid on Hyrule Castle Town. _“On the outside. But on the inside, you must allow yourself to feel, especially during times of hardship such as this. You must allow yourself moments of curiosity, rage, sorrow, resentment, tranquility_ … _but above all, my dear girl, you must allow yourself to love.”_

Zelda sucks in a breath and closes her eyes.

_“Of what precious little time we have in this world, it is far better to spend the majority of it in the presence of people we love. Love can heal all sorts of wounds, even when life is at its most bleak.”_

She was right… Luck was on Zelda’s side when she saved Mipha today, but who knows how much longer they’ll have before the Calamity reawakens? If either of them ends up losing their life to it… she’d never be able to forgive herself. She’d never be able to _move on._

She opens her eyes.

“I… like you, Mipha.”

Mipha just stares at her, though. “I like you too, Zelda.”

Zelda shakes her head, her heart now pounding in her chest. She tugs anxiously at her gloves and clears her throat.

“No, Mipha. I _like_ you,” she clarifies, and she sucks in a deep breath. “As… more than a friend.”

Realization finally dawns across Mipha’s face, and for another long, torturous moment, she is silent.

When she does speak, though, all she utters is a soft, barely audible, “… Oh,” and Zelda almost wishes she hadn’t said anything at all. It’s too late to take it back, though.

Except, now that she’s finally said it… she doesn’t _want_ to take it back.

“I- I can’t say exactly how or when it happened, but it did. You make me feel… well, to be honest, you make me feel a lot of things. Lightheaded, but grounded; intelligent, yet also so very clumsy; normal, and like I’m the most special person in the whole world. You are so kind, Mipha, so beautiful, so graceful, so strong, and so _courageous,_ and… and this is probably the most inept attempt at confessing a crush there’s ever been, but the point is, you haven’t left my mind in weeks; and this whole outing today was really just an excuse to spend more time with you,” she says, then she looks straight into Mipha’s golden eyes, hoping she can hear the sincerity in her words as she finishes, “The point is, I like you so very much, Mipha.”

Despite the rain and the thunder and the crackling of the fire, the atmosphere around them grows eerily quiet. A shiver rolls down Zelda’s spine, and she scoots a bit closer to the fire. The acorns Mipha had gathered for them earlier have long since burned away to ash.

“It was Link.”

Zelda lifts her eyebrows. “… Sorry?”

Mipha lets out a slow, unsteady breath of air as she elaborates, “Earlier, when you asked if there was someone I cared for… it was Link.”

_… Oh._

Zelda’s heart sinks as if it’s being dragged down by a heavy steel anchor. She knew rejection was likely on the horizon since the moment she opened her mouth, but still, that doesn’t lessen the agonizing ache now burning throughout her chest.

A small part of her, the foolishly optimistic part of her, had actually hoped that maybe, just _maybe…_

_Just nothing. It wasn’t meant to be, and that’s that._

Tears start to well in her eyes despite her best efforts to hold them back, and she pulls her legs back up to her chest and looks away, doing her best to hide her utter shame and humiliation.

A second later, though, the cold skin of Mipha’s palm caresses Zelda’s wet cheek, gently coaxing her to turn her head back. Her smile is small and soft.

“I loved him ever since we were kids,” she starts. “He was so soft and kind, and even though he couldn’t always say it aloud, I knew he cared about me. And… I very much cared for him.” She drops her hand back to her lap, looking down at the fire. “Of course, it started out as nothing more than a silly childhood crush, but as the years went by, my feelings only grew stronger, until one day I realized… I was in love.”

Zelda squeezes her eyes shut, tears sliding down her cheeks against her will. She wants to ask Mipha to stop talking, please, _please,_ just stop talking, but nothing comes out.

“I wanted so badly for him to feel the same for me, but even if he’d known how I felt… he could never have felt the same.” She sighs. “I’m certain I could have saved myself many years of pitiful pining had I known _why.”_

Zelda swallows.

“How… how did you find out?” and Mipha suddenly laughs.

“Only in the most humiliating way possible. I wanted to show him how I felt with a big, grand romantic gesture, so I… I started crafting a suit of Zora armor for him. You know the significance of that, right?” Zelda nods. “Yes, well, it took months; I worked on it every single day, several painstaking hours at a time, until one day, just as I was nearly finished… Link found me out. It wasn’t hard for him to guess it was meant for him, and that’s when he confided in me that he liked men. Of course, I felt like such a fool, but for some reason… the rejection didn’t hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would. It still took some time to get over him, of course, but I wasn’t left devastated or heartbroken by what had happened. I think because somewhere deep inside of me, I always knew it wouldn’t work out.”

It doesn’t seem like she was finished talking, but she doesn’t say anything more, simply gazes thoughtfully into the flames before them, and Zelda stares at her, almost nervous.

“Why is that?” she asks.

Mipha bites her lip. “To be honest, I’m not quite sure. I just know that over time, I eventually came to realize that all those years I spent pining for him… I’d just been trying to force something that simply wasn’t there. What Link and I have, it’s not romantic, and it never will be. And I’m okay with that.”

She says this with an oddly light-hearted giggle, and Zelda furrows her brows in confusion. Mipha looks down at her lap, suddenly bashful, as she continues, “I’m okay with it because lately… a girl I very much care for has caught my eye.”

Zelda quickly wipes her tears away.

_Could it be…?_

She forces herself to ask. “And… who might that girl be?”

Mipha smiles, her expression as soft and sweet as a fresh jar of courser bee honey, and Zelda’s breath hitches in her throat.

“I think you already know,” Mipha whispers. Then she leans in a bit closer and asks, “Would… it be all right if I kissed you now?”

Instead of saying anything, Zelda reaches forward with trembling fingers and places her palms flat against either side of Mipha’s face. They stare at each other for a moment, golden yellow eyes to bright emerald. And then…

… then Mipha kisses her.

Mipha’s mouth is cold to the touch, but Zelda feels like her skin is now burning hot enough to warm them both. Mipha laces her arms underneath Zelda’s, grasping at her shoulders as she moves her lips against hers, and Zelda smiles, all too eager to reciprocate. She’s so soft, so _gentle…_ it’s exhilarating.

Of course, this is the very first kiss either of them has ever had, so it’s not completely perfect. After the third time their front teeth clash together, Mipha starts giggling, and Zelda pulls away, grinning and licking her lips.

“We’re not so good at this, are we?” she quips.

Mipha moves in closer, wrapping her arms around Zelda and gently touching their foreheads together.

“That’s okay,” she says with a little smirk. “We have time to practice.”

* * *

 

By the time they return to Zora’s Domain that night, the rain has stopped, the clouds have parted, the moon is shining high in the sky… and Muzu, of course, is none too pleased that Mipha disappeared for so long with no word.

“Honestly, Princess Zelda, I would have expected you to be far more responsible with our beloved Lady Mipha, more so than that _Link_ boy, at the very least.” He purses his mouth and shakes his head. _“He_ always seems to be getting into some kind of trouble that requires Lady Mipha to save his life in some way or another.”

Zelda can only grin sheepishly in response.

Mipha holds up a hand. “Muzu, please, it was not her fault,” she asserts, even though it… kind of was. “I told you before I left that you could trust Princess Zelda to keep me safe, and that’s exactly what she did. Our late return was nothing but… an unfortunate miscalculation of the time.”

_Yes, spending so much time making out can make for quite the miscalculation,_ Zelda thinks, and she has to bite her lip to stop herself from snickering out loud.

Muzu studies the both of them for a few moments, his large round eyes narrowed to slits. Then he just sighs haggardly and offers a hand.

“All right, well, since you _are_ both still in one piece, I suppose I’ll just have to take your word for it. Just be more careful next time, yes?” He waits for both of them to nod. “Good. Now then, why don’t I take the Lightscale Trident back to the palace while you two say goodnight.”

Zelda and Mipha exchange a quick side-glance.

_Oh, right…_

She coughs and clears her throat, anxiously tapping at the Sheikah Slate on her hip as Mipha hands over the Lightscale Trident.

“Right, that’s… Thank you, Muzu, that would be much appreciated. I’ll just say goodnight to the Princess and… be home in a few minutes.”

Muzu nods and takes a short bow, then starts off toward the palace. Once he’s finally out of sight, Zelda lets out a quiet breath, and she and Mipha turn toward one another.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Mipha apologizes, and she folds her arms across her chest. “If you want, I’m sure I could find a way to sneak you in, or maybe I could even sneak _out_ , but—”

Zelda chuckles a little and holds up a placating hand.

“I’ll be fine, Mipha, don’t worry. I’ll just rent a bed at the Seabed Inn for the night.”

Mipha worries at her bottom lip. “Are… are you sure?” she asks.

“Positive,” she nods. “Besides, something as rebellious as sneaking out? Doesn’t really suit you,” she teases, and Mipha scoffs, feigning offense.

“Excuse you, I can be _plenty_ rebellious when I truly want to be,” and Zelda raises an eyebrow.

“Oh really? How, exactly?”

Mipha just smirks a little, then, suddenly, takes Zelda’s chin between her thumb and forefinger and places a kiss at the very corner of her mouth.

“Like that.”

Zelda makes a face at her. “Mipha, don’t, someone could be looking! _Muzu_ could be looking!”

Mipha laughs. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” she says, but then she leans up to sneak a kiss to the other corner of her mouth.

Zelda giggles at the feathery light touch, and Mipha smiles that warm, beautiful smile of hers, swiping her thumb across Zelda’s bottom lip.

“Are you quite sure about staying at the inn?” she asks after a moment.

“Well, I certainly don’t want to start any rumors amongst the Zora by spending the night with their beloved Lady Mipha,” she counters.

She’s mostly joking when she says it, but they did discuss this on their way back to the Domain and decided that they weren’t going to tell anyone about what happened between them today. Not yet anyway. Everyone has much bigger things to be worrying about right now, and Zelda… well, Zelda honestly has no idea how King Rhoam would react, but she knows she’d prefer not to have to deal with it just yet. Besides, in the upcoming weeks, neither Zelda nor Mipha will really have the time to go on a proper date with one another.

After everything’s settled down again, though… maybe.

“Yes, not until Calamity Ganon is gone, at least,” Mipha chuckles, and she lets her hand drop back to her side. “Still, I shall miss you tonight. Do come and say goodbye before you leave for the castle tomorrow morning, okay?”

“Of course,” she responds, then she smiles a little. “I had a lovely day with you today, Mipha. Better than I’ve had in a long, long time, in fact.”

There’s a beat of silence, and Mipha stares at Zelda with a fairly strange look in her eyes. She takes both of Zelda’s hands in hers and pulls her close.

“Your seventeenth birthday… it’s in just a few days now, isn’t it?” she asks, her voice quiet even in the dead silence of the nighttime.

Zelda licks her lips. “Four days, yes,” she confirms.

Mipha lets out a slow, quiet breath.

“I suddenly have this odd feeling… that our lives are going to change in a very big way within these next four days. Whether that's necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, I'm not sure, but I just want you to know that I will be here for you— _with_ you, right by your side, along with the rest of the Champions. No matter what.”

Zelda swallows. It’s a bit hard to believe that things could change that much within only four days, but she doesn’t doubt Mipha’s intuition for one second. Mipha has always been so perceptive and so clever… Zelda loves her so very much.

She gently squeezes Mipha’s hands in hers and smiles down at her, feeling more hopeful about her future, _their_ future, than she ever has before.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> if you wanna see more miphzel content (& also a bunch of other crap), check out my [ tumblr](https://missdykedanvers.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> thanks for reading! <3


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